Ribbon-holder



(No Mbdel.)

' J. L. BLACK.

RIBBON HOLDER.

N0. 489,360. Patented Jan, 3, 189 3.

Unrren TATES PATENT rrrcn.

JOHN L. BLACK, OF CHAMBERSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

RIBBON-HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 489,360, dated January 3, 1893.

Application filed June 11, 1892. Serial Nn- 436,354. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN L. BLACK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chambersburg, in the county of Franklin and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Ribbon-Holders and I do hereby declare the following to beafull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in ribbon holders or clasps for holding ribbon, braid, or other similar fabric upon their spools or blocks, the object of the invention being to provide a simple, cheap and effective device for this purpose and one which will not interfere with the proper packing of these spools of braid or other material in the boxes or cases in which they are placed for shipment; and the invention therefore consists in the construction, arrangement and combination, substantially as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating my invention: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a spool of ribbon provided with my improved device. Fig. 2 is a detail view of the complete device.

Similar letters of reference refer to similar parts throughout both figures.

In selling ribbon from the roll, as is the common practice, the outer end of the ribbon must be secured in some manner after each piece has been cut off, to prevent the entire roll from unwinding. If a pin is used to secure this end in place, it makes an unsightly hole or perforation in the goods which spoils the same at the end and also the underlying wraps through which it passes. If a clamp is employed and fastened to the center of the roll or extend around its periphery, any diminution in the diameter of the roll, as the ribbon is unwound and used up, makes the clamp too loose to be effective. In order to obviate these difficulties I have devised the present invention.

Referring to Fig. 1, A represents a spool or block of any suitable size and form and made of any suitable material, but preferably of paste-board, whereon is wound any desired length of ribbon, braid or other similar article, as B.

0 represents the ribbon holder which is formed of a single piece of wire bent into the following form. Commencing at the point a-see Fig. 2the wire is formed into a small eyelet or ring, for a purpose hereinafter explained. It is then bent upward in a straight line, forming the portion 6, which is substantially half the length of one side of the device; thence at a right angle thereto forming the portion 0, which terminates in a loop or ring d. The wire is then bent back upon the portion 0, thence upward again forming the continuation of the remaining half of one side of the device, 6; thence across a suitable distance according to the width of the spool or ribbon forming the portion f, and down upon the other side, which side is formed similar to that of the first. The wire then terminates in the cross portion g which is designed to pass through the small opening or eyelet formed at the point a. The portion g has a part g which extends slightly beyond the point a for a purpose as will be hereinafter explained.

The manner of placing my improved device in position is as follows: The two sides'of the device are pulled far enough apart to allow them to pass down alongside of the respective sides or the spool or block. The portion g is then pushed through the material of the spool at the center, until its end comes out on the opposite side of said spool, where it will register with the eyelet at the point a and passing through the same, the portion g is turned down so that the cross portion 9 cannot be pulled out of the eyelet and the device is then in position for use. The cross piece f is then slipped around upon the spool until it registers with the outer end of the ribbon, which it holds in proper position, thus preventing unwinding of the same. It will be noted that the provision of the spring formed by the looping of the wire at d on each side of the device affords a constant tension upon the ribbon so that no matter how diminished the spool of ribbon may become the end is always kept from unwinding by the pressure of the cross portion f upon it. g

It will thus be seen that I provide a very simple cheap and effective ribbon holder and one that is easily operated. Other forms of the spring portion may be devised without departing from .my invention, the main idea being to have the device lie close to the spool without taking up any room, and to provide a constant tension at all times upon the grad ually diminishing spool of ribbon.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is:

In combination with the ribbon spool A, the spring wire holder, made of a single piece of spring wire bent into a substantially rectangular shape and comprising the sides Z), e,f 15

and the axial portion g, the projecting arms 0 a bent at a right angle to the main rectangular portion, said arms'forming at their ends the loops (1 d, the extension g formed on one end of the wire and the eyelet or loop a, 20 

